Saturday, January 30, 2016

Ask anyone in our team... Berna and I rarely have great photos together. We can do wacky and simple selfies. But when it comes to serious photos? A lot of paper chickens need to be sacrificed in order for us to get one --- or we can just get Mr. Mark Alvarez.

Ha! I know for a fact that if there is any professional in the world that can finally make us do something artistic and a serious one at that, it's him. The legendary photographer.

And so, that day finally arrived. Check out the behind-the-scene photos!

I am a 30 year old plus size designer and a professional marketer. I have a fabulous best friend of more than a decade. I have a healthy family life. I have the opportunity to go to one of the top 5 Universities in the country and even study some basic fashion. I am in a relationship with a gentleman for more than half a decade. I am associated with powerful women.

I get to blog, take photos and promote plus size beauty for a living. I am always with money (big or small, I love it all). I love that I can talk in 2 languages (Tagalog and English) and do varying accents (Aussie, American, British etc.) with it. I would also like to think that I am a spiritual woman and try my best to be as cultured as possible.

Of course, I can go on and become narcissistic. But given all this, I can say that I am doing well for my age and self. I am actually describing someone I would like to hang out with and talk to.

So, if I am actually content with myself (at least), why can’t I go to bed with it?

I sat on my bed and set aside the “fake hate and worry” that my brain comes up whenever it sees that I am about to face me. After setting it aside, I have realized my brain and heart is empty.

HOLY SMOKES! I don’t know what to do with myself!

I mean I know how to entertain and interact with people but clearly I have ZERO idea on how to interact with myself.

Like any millennial (I guess) I googled. I googled “how to be alone”. I read this article, 13 rules of being alone and happy, and these are the points that got to me:

#1 Understand that you’re good enough all by yourself.

#4 Close your eyes in a dark room and appreciate the silence.

So, apparently, I don’t have to do anything. Being alone with yourself, apparently is a “no assembly” required set up. For the other one, it solved my bed problem. I have decided to go to bed, closed my eyes and appreciated the silence.

I have never realized how peaceful and quiet my surroundings are and how beautiful the aura/energy of my house is. Little did I know, I fell asleep. I woke up after 3 hours. A good record of a nap.

For once, I woke up --- NOT TIRED, which is now a common affliction in my generation.

After that, I finally get it. Being alone is enjoying the fact that you’re with you. You are not going to hurt you. You are fine to be with.

So I can finally sleep but that’s different from being awake. Errr --- how can I be alone with myself, awake?

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Last call for the #TNEI2016 application forms for the January batch. After this, invites will be released on January 25, 2016, Monday and hopefully, the ladies will reply. Want to apply? Click the button below:

All forms received after 12MN today is automatically disqualified and will have to re-apply for the February batch. Announcement for that will be released soon.
Cheers!

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

I work a lot. There. I said it. People think that I am just a hard worker but the truth is, I am afraid of my bed. I am afraid of that moment where you are about to go to sleep and your brain just starts telling you how much you suck and the other things that you will be doing tomorrow.

I start sleeping by 7pm only to find that by 10pm my eyes are still wide open and I somehow managed to imagine a dark future that will never happen.

So, what do I do? I work. I get up and start working on things that should be done tomorrow and even though my body is telling me to stop already, I don’t. I work until I am so tired that I sleep on where I was working.

I still hate my bed.

But there was that one night where I was crying because of a dark future (again) that I know will never happen. And I have realized that the reason I am like this is because I don’t know how to be HAPPY being alone.

Just to clarify, I’m not lonely. I actually have pretty amazing and healthy relationships in my life, and when they are not available, I work because I love it. I get to design, take photos, sell and write about fierce plus size fashion. But that’s the point --- I rely on them too much for my own happiness to the point that I am terrified without it.

I have realized that my mind is terrified with the fact that I actually need to always have somebody or something with me in order to be happy.

So the moment that relationship/work finally ends, I am left with myself and I don’t know why but I am terrified on looking at it. Why such the horror? Don’t I like myself?

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Getting bored with your current style? How about doing some style dares? Check out the list below!

#1 DO SOME ALTERATIONS

Pick an item that you haven’t worn in a while but is still in good condition. Find ways to rejuvenate it by having it altered. Turn an a-line dress into a top. Turn a midi skirt into a mini! Go to an amazing tailor and consult what you can do for it.

#2 TRY TO COPY YOUR FAVORITE STYLE ICON'S OOTD

We know that you got your personal style down to a T, but how about a little adventure to the unknown? Try to copy or emulate your favorite style icon's look or OOTD for a day and see the reactions.

#3 INVEST IN A HIGH QUALITY SOMETHING…

Everyone loves a cheap thrill. Unfortunately, those things don’t usually last and if you compile all of your expenses --- you just threw a lot of your money away. So why not, for once invest in a high quality bag/shoe/blazer/dress/top etc. that you know you’re going to use almost daily?

NEWSFLASH! Over 700 plus size models have sent their application for The Next Erzullie Icon 2016. We are really grateful for this amazing turn out. Have you submitted yours yet? Click on the button below:

No need for you to create an account. Just click the button below and get to shopping! 30 days Return and Exchange Process and Policy still applies (Check out the terms and conditions at the website), so rest assured that we are here with you all the way.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Really, Aries? 4 batches? What's going on? --- These are the usual reactions I get when I tell people that I am going to change things for The Next Erzullie Icon 2016 and I want to do it 4 times this year.

For those of you who have not read it, the #TNEI2016 details are out and if you really did read it, it states there --- BATCH 1 OF 4. Yes, Erzulliestas, there will be 4 batches.But how many are you getting exactly? As I have always said every year --- as many as we can or none at all. Experience though, it's always 2. But, we will never know. With 4 batches up ahead, hopefully, we find more. I like surrounding myself with Erzulliestas anyway.

So, why 4 batches? Well, last year we didn't get to do it. And Erzullie, along with other inquiries, has been bombarded about it. There was even one model that got mad at us because she said she prepared for it, only to see no announcement whatsoever. Well, what can I do? I can't lie to people. We had to stop and we also did announce in all of our social accounts about the matter.

Lesson? Can't please everyone.

With that, I decided to make it into 4 batches to actually make up for lost time. This way, I get a lot of options and plus size models will have more time and chances to get in. I can't remember anymore how many applications we had last year, but definitely did not go down to 1K. And that was just 2-3 weeks of time. I wonder how many we would amass in total this year.

Are you The Next Erzullie Icon (#TNEI2016)? We asked this question just a few days ago and so far, around 648 Erzulliestas have responded. Thank you so much for this overwhelming response. Now remember for this batch, the cut-off for the forms is on January 23, 2016.

It's a classic thing to happen inside of me. Recently, things have been going very well with Erzullie. I had a collaboration with Q-York and after that a heartfelt interview with Entrep TV. After doing all the aftermaths --- post press and clean up --- I have decided to go to BGC to at least have a change of scenery.

I have been in Eastwood too long. I need some Taguig air.

I went there and looked through my usual section. Out of my curiousity, I saw this book about Chinese horoscopes. These things have not always been kind to me. Last 2014, it didn't exactly paint my year right. So for 2015, I have decided to forgo that and just get lost my own way. 2015 was cruel and hilarious to me. So whether or not I have read anything bad, I felt like crap anyway.

So, as that year 2015 was about to end. I wanted to own my 2016. I don't know what happened to me but for the first time in the long time, I felt great. It felt like I can actually have a great year. So, with all my positivity, I opened that Chinese horoscope again ---just to confirm this great feeling. I looked at mine and saw a disturbing news about a specific month due to a specific start that fell on that gauge.

I felt down.

I felt worried.

I felt --- "World! Why me?"

It was at that point that I thought to myself, if I didn't go and open that book, I think I would have stayed on may positive path and would go on just fine. But this disturbed me,, why do we always look for trouble or something that might go wrong, when everything around us is totally fine?

I was thinking, maybe we want to be ready. Maybe we also just want to validate what we are feeling. Or maybe we just really can't believe it that for the first time in a very long time, everything is fine. We look for the things that are about to ruin it because that is the only thing we can count on.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

No need to buy new things for the new year, Erzulliesta! Learn to shop in your closet for an instant style revival!

#1 THAT EXPENSIVE BLAZER (OR ANY PIECES OF FASHION ITEM) YOU NEVER WORE

I am guilty of this. I have this white Mango blazer in my closet that I bought and swore that I will only wear it for special occasions. When I bought it 2 years ago, I only wore it once for an important job interview. I didn’t get the job, but hey! I found a great occasion.

But that’s not the lesson here. Time to wear that expensive item and let it pay itself by usage.

#2 THAT COCKTAIL DRESS YOU ONLY WORE ONCE

There are now many ways for you to downplay a cocktail dress for daily casual use. Adding a denim jacket/blazer or basic flats can do that for you. Minimize the accessories or partner it with your daily bag will also do the trick.

#3 THAT SPECIAL SET OF JEWELRY

Anything basic, paired with a special set of jewelry (faux or not) instantly gives it an “expensive” lift. So start wearing it every now and then for a sudden style surprise.

Monday, January 11, 2016

I think this was the point when I was about to cry during the interview. Entrep TV asked us about how and why we started Erzullie​ and I don't know but my emotions just gave.

I cried because I remembered all the hardships that we went through and the major events that shaped us and the brand. It showed me how much I really love Erzullie and how long I have been losing my mind doing this (haha).

Being an entrepreneur, a designer --- a plus size designer, can really kick your spirit and ass to the ground. It makes you bleed, happy, crazy and wise all at the same time. You get punched, used and stabbed in all places of your body (internal and external, metaphorical and not). Tougher part is that you have to act like you are still okay because being optimistic about the present and future is all that you can do, until you have finally materialized your goal.

But what kept us alive for all these years are the women and people that helped and supported us along the way --- our Erzulliestas --- all of them... from the Icons, Team and Customers. You girls are the balm that healed all of my injuries and scars so that I can do this until my last breath.

So thank you, Erzulliestas. I would literally not be alive if it wasn't for you.